


Crystal Grumps (Trash)

by Maya_De_Hatchet



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Crystal Grumps, Fandom, Gen, Steven Universe AU, trash
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-29
Updated: 2016-09-20
Packaged: 2018-08-11 21:20:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 6,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7908025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maya_De_Hatchet/pseuds/Maya_De_Hatchet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of my Crystal Grumps stories.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Poof the Peridot

“My visit to Earth has been anything but enjoyable. This planet would have been much better to be used for Homeworld than what the Rebellion have done with it. Speaking of, I have yet to see any gems here. I have checked on the kindergartens and they all have been abandoned for what I can estimate is a little over five thousand years.” The peridot paced the old crystal platform, the levitating metal fingers holding a screen, and likely recording his log. 

He was completely unaware of the small collection of gems who stood on the ground, hidden by the warp pad’s elevated base and the cracked and war scarred pillars that were separated by one or two yards of empty space.

“He hasn’t noticed us at all yet?” Kevin whispered, peering at the tall green gem that was so absorbed in his words that you could probably sneak up behind him. 

“Apparently not.” Barry responded, eyes narrowed as he watched the gem as well.

“Should we stop him?” A red gem asked, gazing over at the bloodstone that stood beside him, who was holding a metal star with violent intention visible in every motion he made.

“Let’s wait.. We might learn something about Homeworld’s plans.” 

“However, I must report something of vital importance. When I visited the kindergarten, I discovered something rather interesting. There were two new entry holes, I estimate a good three to four thousand years old. I have also made the realization that the Prophecy has… Emerged. I shall send this news to Yellow Diamond the second I get a proper communications set up.”

Suzy held up her weapon, eyes glinting with an emotion that Barry found difficult to understand.

“I’m going to get him now.” She hissed before climbing onto the pad. 

“He will likely send a collection of quarts soldiers to- AH!” The peridot’s eyes widened when he noticed the gem that stood only a yard or two away.  
Brian leaped onto the pad, throwing a star in the peridot’s direction.

The peridot leaped to the side before running to the other side of the pad, likely to jump out of range.   
Dan was faster.   
The peridot skid to a stop as the previous ninja leaped in front of him, blocking off his route of escape.   
The peridot ran to the only remaining spot, pointing his arm at them as a small orb of energy formed between the fingers.

“Get away from me!” He shouted, taking several steps back. Suzy swung her weapon, catching the peridot around his midsection before giving him a harsh jerk forward. The peridot staggered, managing to keep his balance and pointed the orb in her direction.

Only for Barry to run up behind him, wrapping his arms around the Peridot who let out a sharp cry of surprise before vanishing.  
Barry leaped back in surprise as the gem’s arms and legs fell to the ground with a dull metal thud.   
Suzy stared at the collection of limbs, her mouth open in shock. 

“There’s bits of him everywhere..” Dan muttered, probably extremely disturbed by it.   
Barry picked up one of the pieces.

“They’re limb enhancers.”

“What?”

“They aren’t actually part of his form.” Barry responded, dropping the piece.

“Oh… Well then..” Suzy leaned over, a small bubble appearing around the peridot’s gem.

“Let’s go back. We don’t have to worry about this guy any more.” She said, tapping on the bubble with a grin on her face.  
Barry nodded and the group began to walk back.

“So… Guess we can finally stop worrying about a homeworlder being on Earth.” Dan said, his voice returning to its more upbeat tone as he turned to Brian who only shrugged.


	2. Goodbyes

The peridot stared at the other peridot before him. The peridot that may as well have shattered a whole quartz battalion. That would honestly have been better than what he already did.

“Are you insane!?” The peridot shouted, finally finding his voice once more.

“No. I’m not-”

“They’re going to shatter you for this! They’re going to shatter ALL OF US!” The peridot shrieked, cutting off the other as he spun around, pacing around in an angered panic. 

“Why did you have to sabotage this project? Why not the forced fusion ones?! At least you wouldn’t be dragging us all down with you!”

The offending peridot narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms over the green gem located in his chest.

“I didn’t ask for your help, and I did it on my own. You aren’t being dragged down with me. No one is.” The other peridot spun around, eyes filled with frustration.

“Who cares if you asked for our help or not?! This was OUR project! They’re going to shatter us all because guess what? You screw up, and you get shattered! I don’t want to be the next addition to a ninja’s shard collection!” The peridot took another huge pace around the room, metal limb enhancers enhancing the sound of his footsteps.

He finally turned around, facing the peridot.

“How long til you guess they find out?”

“I don’t know. A couple hours if they send quartz soldiers to guard the exact drill point. A couple thousand years if not.”

“I’m going to tell the others.” The other peridot turned, walking over to the nearby door panel.

“Hey… I’m sorry..”

The other peridot was still, the conversation finally sinking in.

“It’s…. It was an honor to call you a partner.”

“Same to you.” He responded, lips pressed in a line.


	3. Diamonds

“Barry! One of the corrupted gems is in the temple!” Ross shouted, running over to the orange gem.

“Where?”

“The main area! Come on!” Ross lead Barry to the aforementioned area. The Crystal Grumps were there, creating a half circle in front of what looked like a giant floating green eyeball. 

Barry noticed that the corruption’s gem placement was the pupil. And it looked oddly familiar.

“Suzy, you rope it. I’ll poof it.” Barry shouted, stepping in front of the other grumps.

The eyeball floated to the side, an optic nerve trailing behind it. 

Suzy pulled out her weapon, preparing to wrap it around the gem while Barry prepared to leap at the gem.  
“One.. Two..-”

“WAIT!” Barry’s eyes widened as a tall gem leaped inbetween the Grumps and the eyeball. 

“Sam! Sam, its me! You remember me, right?” The gem shouted, and it suddenly hit Barry. 

It was Sam.   
Green Diamond’s previous pearl.   
Then that meant..  
The tall gem wrapped his arms around the eyeball, whispering sweet words to it. Barry walked over, the Grumps remained behind him, tensed up in case this gem attacked as well.

“Its okay, Sam… I’m here now… I’m sorry I let this happen…I’m so so sorry..” 

“Jack?”

The gem spun around, green eyes wide.  
“Barry?”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kevin tries to talk to Mat.

Kevin stared at the doorway. The others were likely in the main room, talking about what to do with the peridot they brought back.

He wanted to talk to him. Maybe he could show him that Earth wasn’t so bad.

He took a quick look around before entering the door, teleporting him to the basement.

He could recognize the gems that were surrounded in warm magenta bubbles. Or at least, most of them. 

He climbed up one of the many pipes, eyes searching for the green gem. When his eyes landed on the bubbled peridot, he pushed off the pipe, grabbing the high floating bubble.  
“There we- AH!” Kevin yelped as the bubble popped, sending him and the gem crashing to the ground.  
“Ow…” Kevin groaned, eyes widening as the gem hovered in the air, a green light forming around it, taking on its form. 

The peridot stumbled backwards, eyes wide in panic as he fought at invisible arms. “W-W...Huh..?” Then he noticed Kevin, who was just getting off the floor.

“You’re so.. Small.” Kevin stared down at the short green peridot.

“My limb enhancers! Where are my limb enhancers!?’ The peridot shouted, staring at his now exposed feet and hands. He was not too pleased with his sudden height change.

“You’re so short.” Kevin muttered, trying to figure out his and the peridot’s height difference. The peridot looked up, eyes widening in horror.

“Oh my stars.. You’re going to harvest me!?”

“What?” Kevin lifted an eyebrow in confusion. The peridot looked around in panic as Kevin approached him.

Only to be slapped in the face.

“Ow! That hurt!”

“It did?” The peridot stared at him in confusion.

“Yeah.” Kevin replied, only to be hit again.

“Feel my unbridled rage!” The peridot shouted.   
Kevin backed away as the peridot continued to try and hit him.

“Hey! Hey! Hey..” Kevin grabbed the Peridot’s hands. “Calm down.”

“You poofed me, bubbled me away, and called me small!” The peridot shot back, angry. 

“Sorry… Well.. I didn’t poof or bubble you. That was Barry.”

“So… You aren’t going to hurt me?”

“No!” Kevin looked at the gem, slightly surprised.

“Then why did you poof and bubble me away?”

“Well.. You kinda were going to bring Homeworld soldiers here and we don’t really want to have to fight another war.” 

“Well I- Wait.. Is this the rebel base?”

“I wouldn’t say ‘rebel’ base.” Kevin replied, shrugging. “We aren’t actively rebelling anything right now.” 

“Wait…” The peridot muttered, seeming to think through stuff in his head. 

“I’m Kevin.” Kevin held out his hand and the peridot looked at him, before allowing Kevin to shake his hand.

“ What kind of gem is a Kevin?” 

“Oh! It’s not a gem. It’s just a human name I go by. Easier and quicker to pronounce.” 

The peridot was quiet, before pulling Kevin with a force that he wasn’t aware the peridot even had.

Kevin yelped, holding out his arms as he regained his balance as the peridot made a run towards the door.

“Wait, come back!” Kevin shouted, chasing after the peridot.  
“They’ll see you!”  
\--  
“Aha! Freedom is mine!” The peridot shouted, only to slowly turn around and see the Crystal grumps, who looked as equally surprised as the peridot.   
Then they summoned their weapons.

“Get him!” The orange gem shouted, and the peridot’s eyes widened and he took off in the opposite direction of the gems.

“Wait! Over there! Another planet to betray!” The peridot pointed out the window, as if that would even grab the Grumps’ attention. When he realized that his attempt to distract them didn’t work, he bolted down the hallway, locking the door as he ran inside the end room.   
The other gems stopped out the door. 

“Open the door!” Ross shouted, slamming a fist on the wooden slab.

“Never!” The peridot shouted, before oohing at something from the other side of the door.

“How did he get out?”

“Maybe we needed a bigger bubble.”

“My bubbles are fine.”

Kevin rubbed his arm.  
“I… I let him out.”

“Kevin? Why?!”

“I wanted to see if he could be talked to. Maybe we could show him the Earth and he would see it isn’t that bad?” 

“He’s a Homeworld Gem, Kevin. He isn’t going to see it the way we do.”

“You guys were from Homeworld.” Kevin responded while Ross tried to convince the peridot to leave the room.

“That was different. We fought a war for this planet.. And we saw its beauty thousands of years ago. No Homeworld gem sees it like that anymore.”


	5. Records

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nate listens to some of Mat's recordings

Nate stared at the scratched up device that sat on the table.  
He shouldn’t.  
But he wanted to.   
\----------  
“Don’t touch my things without asking me first.”   
\----------  
But he wouldn’t know.  
Nate sighed, giving up on the mental debate as he leaned over and picked up the recorder. Mat was looking through the kindergarten like he did every few days.  
It was a weird interest of his.   
He pressed the play button.

“Log date 8.29.8.. I have been on Earth for what I can assume is about a year… And I suppose I will stay here much longer. I have insulted Yellow Diamond and taken the side of the rebels. I guess that makes me a Crystal Grump?  
I’m not sure….  
They even gave me a name. Matpat… An intriguing name to say the least.   
I have no clue what I am meant to do on this planet. The P..Kevin showed me some human entertainment. It doesn’t make that much sense to me.. Somehow it is still entertaining.  
I’m not sure why the ‘Grumps’ are letting me stay. Maybe they think I’m more useful this way… Or Kevin has somehow convinced them not to put me in another bubble.. Even after all I’ve done.. I should get back to fixing the hole in the barn.. Peridot... Matpat out.” 

Nate stared at the device. This was likely one of his first recordings. He knew Mat had put a hole in the barn. The Grumps told him a couple days after he decided to stay there. Much to Mat’s displeasure. 

“Log date 9.2.8… The others are starting to be a bit less… Threatening to me now… Except for the quiet one. He’s always glaring at me… It’s unnerving.  
I don’t doubt that he hasn’t forgotten the trouble I caused them previously. Kevin says they’ll all get over it… I have not told the others.. But there is someone I deeply miss… Too bad she probably thinks I’m dead..”

Nate was quiet. Who was he talking about? 

“Log date 10.4.9. I haven’t made a log in awhile. It is likely because of how I have been trying to aid in the capture of an amethyst that we’ve had a hard time dealing with. The Grumps brought back what I assume is the Enstatite that was trapped in a fusion with the amethyst… I wish I could find that amethyst. It’s my fault he’s on Earth. If I had just come to Earth without an escort, It would be okay. The Enstatite wouldn’t have to go through what he did.. Guess we can’t change the past. No matter how bad we want to.” 

Nate pressed a hand to his gem. Vague memories flitted through his head. His most distinct memories as a fusion was forcing Mark to stay with him under the water.  
It was painful.  
He wasn’t aware he had started playing the recorder again until the words hit his ears.

“I… I have no words to describe what has happened.. Nate… And I.... We fused and.. I now understand at least slightly of what the pain he had to go through… He started panicking… I’m glad he couldn’t see what I was thinking.. At least, he didn’t seem to… It’s best he didn’t know all the things I helped do on Homeworld.” 

Nate sat the recorder back on the table as it started to play another log. He could recall fusing with Mat. He felt so lost and confused, and when he realized what happened… He would have had a heart attack if he had the organs to do so. 

“L-Log date….Log….” Mat’s voice was choked in the recording, which immediately caught Nate’s attention. “I-I’m… I.. I received… a box from Homeworld today… And… It.. It contained a note from Yellow Diamond… He was.. Congratulating me...for joining the rebels… yet.. Inside the box.. S-Steph.. S-She’s gone now… I should have brought her with me….”

Nate could tell when this was. He had found Mat crying in the barn loft, hugging a small box which held the shards inside. 

He stood up. He should have listened and left Mat’s recorder alone. Now he had new questions. Questions about Mat before the Grumps..   
Before Nate.


	6. Coding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mat has some issues obeying his code.

“Fix him. Fix him. Fix him.”

Mat hated Homeworld. It wasn’t a surprise, everyone else hated Homeworld. But he bet he could hate it with more fury than any of the others.  
They had shattered his entire team, Yellow Diamond being responsible for it as well as the small box that was tucked away, containing what remained of the peridot he was closest to.  
Now, he could vividly recall the fresh sound of shattering turquoise. It angered him as well as upset him. Now, he sat in a small room in the barn, Nate sitting on the couch, likely trying to think of ways to get past this.

He hadn’t even noticed that Mat had stopped going to the kindergarten entirely.

It wasn’t because of grief, oh no. This was where his deepest reason to hate Homeworld came from.  
His coding.  
He knew that Brian and Dan probably had this issue every time they found gem shards, but Mat wasn’t used to going against his coding.

He could recall how a voice - his code- had been screaming through his skull as Kevin’s shards touched the ground. He had started losing vision, and he could vividly recall a cry of pain and the feeling of a carnelian gemstone gripped in between his fingers before, according to Nate, he had been poofed.

He had reformed without the Diamond Insignia strapped over his chest.

Mark practically vanished whenever Mat arrived, but after all, he hadn’t been saved by Kevin. Given redemption when no one else wanted him outside a bubble. He had been brought back from the brink of death by Danny’s healing singing, and kept out of a bubble by Barry. He likely felt out of place with all the grieving gems.  
He could go back to living in the core of a tree for all Mat cared.

But recently, Mat had spent less and less time watching the sunset with Nate on the top of the barn. It wasn’t because the sight had lost its beauty. But it’s because of the screaming of coding as he saw the outline of the Grump’s temple.

To fix the turquoise that had once been something he would be so pleased to see in Homeworld’s grasp.  
He kept from the kindergarten, because it seemed loudest. All he could do was stare at the scar in the Earth’s surface from the roof of the barn, wishing that he had been able to shatter every single gem in that squad.

He had vivid dreams of taking an injector from the kindergarten. So vivid he had to check the barn over to make sure he didn’t actually bring one in. He didn’t sleep except when Nate managed to lull him with a soothing song. He loved Nate’s voice, but these were the times he wished the enstatite would just let him wallow in his misery.  
Mat was curled up in the corner of the room when he heard a small tap on the door.

“Mat?”

“I’m okay.”

“You sure? Do you want to go for a walk, maybe?”

“…. Okay.”

FIX HIM, FIX HIM, FIX HIM.

Mat knew that Nate was starting to pick up.  
In Nate’s words “You don’t look at bright as you used to.”

If only he knew.

Mat almost had a panic attack when he found the injector lying on a table. He had forced himself to stay awake after that.  
He wasn’t grieving over Kevin, he was worrying about his code and what he could possibly do that he wasn’t sure he wanted to.  
Brian had never seemed affected, but he had stopped glaring at Mat whenever he was in sight. Arin and Dan had gotten back to recording their ‘Game Grumps’ and Nate was singing full songs instead of just humming comforting tunes.

“Take a moment to think of just…” Mat’s voice was shaky as he tried to sing the song that he heard last time he and Nate fused. That was years ago.  
“Flexibility…” Mat stumbled into the room. He was trying to voice over the coding in the back of his head.  
He felt sick and lightheaded as he sat down on the side of the room.

You have to fix him.

Fix the injector.

Fix him.

Mat knew the Grumps (Even Barry) wouldn’t agree with bringing Kevin back to life, now, especially if it involved damaging the Earth by starting the kindergarten back up. Even if it   
was only one injector.

Plus, it would involve shattering the gem that would come from it, and no one would agree with that.

But he was on the verge of insanity.

Maybe.. Maybe if he tried…

“Fix him….”

Mat wasn’t sure why he was still working on the drill. He could hear himself going “Just one more part. One more part and it will stop.”  
But it didn’t, and Barry had noticed him visit the kindergarten repeatedly. He had a different idea than creating a new gem to use. He would inject Kevin’s shards into the Earth with the resources to rebuild him back to his normal state. He may be slightly different, but he needed to do this.  
Less he wanted to go mad and do it with no will whatsoever.

He avoided others almost entirely. He didn’t want them to see his darkened face, for fear of revealing the secrets he had stowed away. He was programmed to be a scientist and technician, this was what he had to do.

What he was made to do.

He managed to open the main body of the injector and spent several months gathering the materials he would need.  
When that was done, he knew he’d have to fix the thing up, and he did just that.  
He was sitting at the side of the injector, searching his memory for how an injector was designed, when he heard a small knock on the door.

“I’m going to go hang out with the others on the beach, just letting you know if you wanna find us.”

“Okay.”

Mat was quiet as he heard Nate’s muffled footsteps fade.

Now was his chance. Everyone was going to be at the beach, or at least, most of them.  
He made sure he had everything before starting to heave the injector body to the kindergarten. He made sure to take a longer round route, which would allow him a stronger   
chance of avoiding the others.

He had no clue how heavy an injector was until now.

He had no clue how his sleepwalking form was able to carry the entire thing to the barn. Maybe when he wasn’t consciously aware of his small size, or it was his coding.

He had inquired himself why he had never felt this coding urge with Stephanie’s gem. One of his theories was that he was not coded to help make other peridots.

Not that it mattered what his coding was anymore.

He just wanted life to go back to normal. For Kevin to be happily joking with the others, for Barry to stop stumbling around like he was dying inside. For Mat to have one of the   
important people in his life back.

He made sure that the injector was set up at the right angle, cursing his quivering hands as he did so.

Once it was finally set, Mat set towards the Temple.

It took a minute or two for him to reach the bubble room.

“You’re so small……”

Mat felt like his form was unstable, like the moment when he and Nate’s forms merge together. But instead of feeling safe, he felt a dull ache that he could associate with the time he had been poofed and bubbled by Barry.

He looked up at the large amount of warm magenta bubbles that hovered above him.  
His dull green eyes searched for the turquoise shards, and a small jolt of pain went through his form when he saw them.  
He had to be quick and quiet, it wasn’t pleasant for him, to spend probably a good thirty minutes grabbing for the bubble.

All while pushing back the moral part of him. It made him feel disgusting.

His horrible feeling wasn’t helped by the memories of when he and Kevin properly introduced themselves.

He made sure to be quick as he left the temple and headed towards the kindergarten.  
He double-checked the injector, re positioned the shards so they aligned almost perfectly and did everything in his weakened form’s abilities to make everything line up right.

He stumbled back to the barn once he activated the injector.

He could hardly formulate a full train of thought, just simple movements.

Which meant he couldn’t see the orange eyes watching him from the temple.

When he reached the barn, all he could do was fall onto the couch and fall into a sort of daze.  
The only thing that he could recall before falling asleep was a sing song voice.

“Everybody tells me, life is precious. On the planet Earth.”


	7. Here comes a thought

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nate and Mat deal with their demons through one of the best known methods.  
> Fusion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place before the 'Coding' chapter.

Take a moment to think of just  
His feet danced across the grass, as if they had rehearsed this dance a million times. His fingers entwined with the shorter gem’s.   
The sky was glittering with the early shimmer of stars as the sun prepared to set behind the hills.   
The other gem’s face was stretched with a smile and his eyes were shining like the stars.   
The strands of a song filled the air as they danced.   
The dance ended with them wrapping their arms around each other, the shorter gem placing his head underneath the other’s chin.  
There was a small sound of their gems touching before their forms were consumed in pale light.   
Flexibility, love and trust

The fusion smiled, stretching his arms. He loved this feeling. The feeling of freedom that came with fusing. 

He gazed out towards the ocean, smiling at the beauty of the large blue expanse that reflected the sky.   
Take a moment to think of just  
He pushed off the ground, spinning as he enjoyed the feelings of happiness that helped make up the core of his being. 

He smiled as he spun about through the bar, eyes closed as he enjoyed the joys of being a fusion.  
He ended up on the roof of the barn, grinning. 

Then something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. Kevin was walking by the barn, likely just out to enjoy the stars as the sun set.  
Flexibility, Love and trust.  
The fusion was about to call for his attention when the world seemed to plummet around him.  
Here comes a thought  
Nate stared around him in shock. What was going on?  
That might alarm you  
“W-What have you done..?”   
What someone said.   
Nae turned around to see Mat staring at what looked like another peridot, in horror. The peridot suddenly took a step back, eyes wide in panic before cracks formed a web over his gem, and a scream left his lips.

“I’M SORRY!” Mat screamed, watching in horror as the peridot’s form vanished in what looked to be a cloud of pale white butterflies. Mat collapsed to the ground in front of the shards, shaking.

A large silhouette took shape in front of Mat and he glanced to the side at another peridot that had appeared. It was female, her hair draped over her face.  
And how it harmed you.

“Matt?” Nate called, stepping towards the trembling gem. 

Something you did

Nate took a step back as Kevin appeared in front of him. A silhouette of Mat stood grinning a few feet away before pointed at what looked like the grumps.

“Prophecy.”

“Mat?” The peridot had his hands cupped over his mouth in horror

“Destroy them.” 

That failed to be charming

“No!” Mat cried out as ‘Kevin’ charged at the gems, his expression shadowed. Silhouettes of pale white butterflies began to take Nate’s attention as they slowly began to come to Mat, resting on parts of his shaking body as he lay crumpled on the ground.

And oh, your losing sight.

Nate walked over so he could see Mat’s face, but it was covered by several of the butterflies.   
“Mat?”

And oh, your losing touch.

Nate noticed the world around him starting to blur.  
They were coming apart. 

And all these little things seem to matter so much.

Nate took several steps toward the quivering peridot, jumping back in surprise as the peridot shards burst into more of the strange butterflies.

“I-I’m sorry.. Please… i’m sorry.” Mat was whispering, his voice choked with tears.

That they confuse you. 

Nate flinched as a butterfly brushed past him. It’s mirror-like wings reflecting his confused expression. 

That I might lose you. 

The world was blurring further, and Nate took quick note of this. He shrugged it off and ran over to Mat’s side, pressing a hand to his soldier. 

Take a moment, remind yourself. 

Mat’s body jolted and he spun around in panic, only to see Nate.

Nate wiped away the fresh tears, smiling sympathetically at the distraught peridot.

To take a moment to find yourself

Nate wrapped his arms around the smaller form, pulling Mat into a comforting hug. 

Take a moment and ask yourself. 

“I-I’m sorry…” Mat whispered, not moving his face from Nate’s shoulder.

If this is how we fall apart.

“It’s okay.” Nate whispered back. “Do you want to unfuse?” 

But it’s not, but it’s not, but it’s not, but it’s not, but it’s not. 

“No..” Mat replied, his grip on Nate tightening as if he were the most valuable thing in the world. 

“It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay.”

Nate’s voice was calm as he held Mat in the hug. He noticed the mirror-like flicker of the butterflies as they flew past but it was hardly worth pointing out.   
You got nothing, got nothing, got nothing, got nothing to fear. 

“It wasn’t real.”

“Are you sure?”

“There was nothing there. You were just imagining it…”

I’m here,

“… You’re safe..” 

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“I-I should have told you… I shouldn’t have tried to hide it..” His voice was choking up again.

“Shh.. It’s okay.. I’m here.” 

I’m here,

The fusion blinked his eyes, a relieved smile coming to his face. It was okay. The fusion breathed out as he wiped away the tears that stained his face. He wasn’t even aware he was crying.

I’m here,

The fusion gazed out, eyes widening as the small silhouette of a familiar amethyst came into focus.   
He was walking by, not even noticing the giant fusion that was currently staring at him from the barn roof. 

A small, mirror-winged butterfly landed on the fusion’s shoulder, causing him to tense up in panic.

 

Here comes a thought

Mat looked around in surprise. He was no longer peacefully enjoying the night from the barn roof. He was in a dark purple-blue area, Nate standing tensed up beside him.

That might alarm me. 

One of those stupid butterflies sat peacefully on Nate’s shoulder. A small urge built up in Mat to swat at the thing, chase it away before it upset the Enstatite like it did him. 

But something else caught his attention.

What someone said, and how it harmed me  
Mark stood several feet away, hand reached out towards Nate, a malicious looking grin on his face as he looked at Nate. 

“Just say yes.” 

Nate’s hand pressed against his chest as he took in a sharp breath. Mat could see more butterflies starting to appear, floating around the amethyst like moths to the temple porch light. 

Something I did

“N-No… I don’t want… I don’t want to fuse with you again.” Nate took a panicked step back, ‘Mark’s’ face twisted with rage, frightening both of the smaller gems.

The butterflies swarmed around the amethyst, blocking him from view, gradually shifting to a taller and taller shape before floating away, revealing a monstrous pink-purple gem. 

That failed to be charming.

Nate looked like he was having a panic attack, staring at the monster that stood towering above Nate and Mat. 

Mat reached for Nate’s hand, only to flinch away as a butterfly flitted forward.   
The monster had four eyes that couldn’t open completely due to how close they were placed.

A mouth full of mishapen fangs that would frighten even the bravest soldiers smiled back at the peridot. 

A large, rectangular gem took up the center of its throat. Even though it was no longer its original color, Mat knew it was Nate’s gem. 

“No! W-We aren’t fused! I’m not stuck with you anymore!”

Things that I said are suddenly swarming. 

Nate fell to his knees, hands cupped over his ears as the butterflies swarmed in spirals around him. 

And, oh. I’m losing sight.

Mat yelped, falling backwards in panic to avoid what he could only see as annoying pests in a pretty form. Only flickers of color could reach Mat’s eyes as he tried to find a way past the butterflies.

I’m losing touch. 

“Nate!” Mat shouted, hoping it would reach past the sound of the butterfly swarm’s wings beating together

If it did, Nate didn’t hear. 

And all these little things seem to matter so much.

“Nate!” Mat shouted, hoping to get the enstatite’s attention. If not to break throught he haze of horrible memories. 

That they confuse me. 

Mat let out a cry of annoyance, pacing once before plunging past the thick curtain of butterflies that surrounded his friend.

He felt fabric as he gripped onto Nate’s jacket, breaking the enstatite from his daze. He took a sudden step back and the butterflies somehow faded from their vision. 

That I might lose me.

The fusion’s eyes widened as he took a step back, only for his feet to hit empty air. The sudden weight imbalance sent the tall gem falling back, the stars and moon simply staring down in silence as he fell. 

Take a moment to remind yourself.

“Mat? Nate?”

Nate groaned, opening his eyes to see Kevin staring down at him, worry visible in his expression.

To take a moment and find youself. 

Mat sat up, followed by Nate.

“What happened?”

“We fused.” Nate replied simply, looking over at the green gem.

Take a moment and ask yourself 

“So you two ended up unconscious outside the barn?”

“Oh.. Huh.. I don’t remember that part.” Mat mumbled, rubbing his face. 

If this is how we fall apart.

Nate noticed the pale flicker of one of those butterflies out of the corner of his eye. 

But it’s not, but it’s not, but it’s not, but it’s not, but it’s not.

“I think… I think we fell?” Mat muttered, looking up at the barn.   
“Well. At least you guys are okay. You have no idea how scared I was when I saw you both sprawled out on the grass. “ Kevin replied, sitting down next to the two.

It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay.

“Nate..?” Mat whispered after a while of staring at the sky.

“Yeah?”

“Y-You aren’t upset.. With me are you?”

“No.” Nate replied, turning so he was looking at the peridot. 

“I-I did so many bad things and-”

“It’s okay.” Nate replied, wrapping an arm around the other. 

I’ve got nothing, got nothing, got nothing, got nothing to fear.

“It’s okay to think about it.” Mat whispered, not moving from Nate’s side.

“I know.. I didn’t mean to think about it while we were fused..” 

“That’s okay. It’s all in the past..” 

I’m here,  
Nate pulled Mat closer, hugging him.  
Mat smiled, hugging back, their gemstones touching.  
I’m here,  
He opened his eyes, confusion only lacing his thoughts for a moment before he grinned, wrapping his arms around himself, ignoring the slightly surprised Kevin nearby.  
“I’m here.“

And it was just a thought, just a thought, just a thought. 

The fusion burst out laughing, squeezing his eyes shut as he fell onto his back, laughing. He was safe. Nothing bad was happening. It was just a thought,

It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay.

The fusion smiled as he cried tears of laughter and joy, pressing a hand to the gem on his forehead, feeling the positive energy pulsing from it into his form. 

We can watch, we can watch, we can watch, we can watch them go by.

The fusion gazed up at the sky, his bubbly laughter finally fading. Both parts of him had seen many views in the thousands of years that they existed, but nothing quite matched Earth’s night sky. 

From here, From here, from here.

He smiled. The two parts of him loved the view of Earth. It was better than anything he remembered. 

Take a moment to think of just.

The fusion knew he would eventually stop existing, but only for a period of time before returning.

Flexibility, love and trust.

The two halves that made him whole were always just a dance away. They both trusted and loved each other more than any other gem (Except maybe Kevin) and that was what made him powerful 

Take a moment to think of just.

The enstatite would always think of how he used to want, but never could unfuse from the amethyst all that time ago. 

The peridot would think of how he saw fusion as simply another subject to exploit for Homeworld’s abilities. 

Flexibility, love and trust.

Now they both saw fusion as something personal that Homeworld would never be able to take or control.  
It was great.


	8. He Knows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matpat's tracks have been traced, and now he has the most powerful gem against him.

“Is that how these things work?”

“Apparently.” Mat responded, not looking at the Enstatite that was straddling an old seat that Mat had found.

Mat had ripped open part of an old tractor which he had flipped on its side, which is one of the few things he was actually allowed to rip open. 

A shadow fell onto the tractor and Mat looked up to see Barry.  
He looked very… Daunting.

“Hey, Nate. Can I talk to Mat for a second?”

“Sure! I’ll go grab some more of Mat’s tools from the loft.” He got up and vanished around the corner of the barn.

Mat felt a shiver run through his form as Barry looked back to him as he stood up.

“What were you doing?”

“What?”

“Several years ago. I saw you leave the kindergarten, right after that I found Kevin’s shards were gone.”

“What are you implying?”

“What did you do with Kevin’s shards in the kindergarten?”

Mat felt his form stiffen at those words. Barry had caught up.

“I didn’t do anything.”

“Then what happened to Kevin’s shards?”

“I don’t know.”

There was silence as Mat tried to keep his body still. Barry would shatter him if he knew what he’d done. 

Maybe that was why he asked Nate to leave.

So no one could protect him.

“After Kevin was shattered, you became a disaster. Ever since his shards went missing, you’ve been fine.”

“So?” Mat turned back towards the tractor, only for a hand to grip around the back of his shirt and pull him back to facing Barry.

He looked pissed.

“What did you do with Kevin’s shards!?”

“I didn’t do anything!”

 

“What did you do with them! Tell me!”

“I didn’t do any-”

Mat cut off as Barry threw him into the tractor. 

“You peridots don’t poof easily, do you?”

Mat’s eyes were wide. The tractor had a large V shaped dent in it now.

“You liar!” Barry shouted back. “What did you do to Kevin?! What did you do!?”

“I didn’t do any-” Mat ducked to avoid another attack from Barry.

He had made Barry mad.

He.

Made Orange Diamond.

Mad.

Mat quickly scrambled to his feet, running in the opposite direction of Barry, only to be grabbed by his arm.

“Kevin should have never let you out of that bubble!” Barry hissed, causing Mat to go still.

Mat looked towards the barn. He could feel tears stinging his eyes. Barry had hit a nerve with those words. 

Mat knew that if he didn’t get away, he was going to get poofed, possibly shattered, by a grief and rage driven Barry.

“NATE!”

Barry let go of Mat’s arm, looking down at the battered green gem before turning on his heel and leaving.


End file.
